Says he's content with his decision to leave Tories and join the Liberals

MHA Paul Lane who left the PC party this week to join the Liberals, said today he's quite content with his decision, even though Premier Kathy Dunderdale announced today her decision to resign on Friday.

"Public service is never easy. It's a tough job, certainly tough on the family, and I wish her all the best," said Lane. On whether her departure would have changed his mind before he crossed the floor, Lane said, "I'm quite content with the decision I made. I made the decision for the reasons I gave. I did it for the people of my district. I was listening to the people of my district. I don't regret the decision I've made, and on a go-forward basis, I'm just going to be working on behalf of the people of Mount Pearl South as I always have."

Marshall right for the job: Williams

Former premier Danny Williams congratulated Tom Marshall on taking his new post this morning after the resignation of Kathy Dunderdale.

“I wish to thank outgoing Premier Dunderdale for her many years of service to the province. Political life is never easy and anyone who steps up to the plate deserves to be acknowledged and appreciated for their commitment and work,” Williams said in a statement.

“Tom is an incredibly dedicated and passionate Newfoundlander and Labradorian who has given many years of his life to public service. He has earned tremendous respect throughout this province and has served in public life with a huge heart for social issues and a great mind for economic policy.

"I am confident that he will continue to bring these attributes to the Premier’s office. It is indeed a tough job that requires a steady hand, and I believe that during this interim period the province will be well served by a gentleman like Tom Marshall. He is truly a statesman and will be a great steward for the province. I wish him the very best in his new role.”

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A New premier, before we get another one

January 24, 2014 - 07:00

Perhaps before passing judgment positive or negative on Tom Marshall, we should actually wait to see what he does as interim premier. And while we are at it, if you have any concerns that the government has missed, bring it up to your MHA again in an email, phone call, etc. Persistence is one of the essential ingredients to positive change but so is timing and strategy. By all means, bringing up the promise of a new corner brook hospital is valid. So would be the 2003 promise to make Grenfell campus a separate university from MUN St. John's campus. We are almost Unofficially in the pre campaign now that we know that 12 months after the next premier of NL (number 12) is sworn in as both NL PC party leader and premier of NL, he or she has 3 months to call an election within 12 months of them being sworn in as per the 2004 NL house of assembly act. So basically having an interim premier to allow Dunderdale to resign, while a leadership convention happens before an elected premier and party leader is sworn in, seems to be a loophole in the act that can be used to buy the governing party time before they have to call an election. Perhaps the next session should debate an amendment to the house of assembly act to close this loop, or maybe it shouldn't. These are all valid points of discourse. In any representative and responsible parliamentary government, we do not exist to serve the government and to obey the laws and regulations of the land only, but the government is meant to serve us as a representative of the queen of the commonwealth and of canada. So let's assert ourselves and find a balance between individual and collective needs but also recognizing the constraints that bureaucracy and partisanship sometimes put on the ability to move forward. Why not lobby the city/town of corner brook to approach the provincial government with a draft proposal for a new hospital to speed up the process. Let's get creative folks!

I am sorry to see Mrs. Dunderale go. Danny Williams didn't do her any favours early in her premiership when he came out ranting and raving about her government not taking his calls, etc. By the way, I voted for Danny Williams but after that he lost some of my respect. Mrs. Dunderdale did a good job and no the power outage was not a crisis, it was difficult but not a crisis. Kudos to Tony Collins for his column in the Saturday Telegram. He summed it all up best of all.

Lane stop with the rhetoric! You look more stupid every day. You can fool some people but most of us remember what you are like.
Go back to your useless twittering!
I thought Dwight had a little better sense than to take a coward like yourself. Come on Randy step up and run against Lane for the nomination.

Okay Tom maybe now that you are premier we can get the hospital you showed us years ago complete with cancer radiation unit. We are looking forward on what you can achieve for us now that you are premier and can affect change regarding our hospital needs.

OMG....come on Henry....give it a rest already. Ms Dunderdale is not even out the door and you already have the hand out. Herein lies the problem is that it is always me, me, me with you people. Give it a rest.

Graham

January 22, 2014 - 14:36

Don't expect Tom out with his saw and hammer right away to start the hospital, let him get sworn in first. (Why would anyone want to be in politics?)

Graham

January 22, 2014 - 14:37

Don't expect Tom out with his saw and hammer right away to start the hospital, let him get sworn in first. (Why would anyone want to be in politics?)

Graham

January 22, 2014 - 14:40

Don't expect Tom out with his saw and hammer right away to start the hospital, let him get sworn in first. (Why would anyone want to be in politics?)

Good luck with that now

January 23, 2014 - 12:33

Henry, he may have promised you a hospital years ago but did he say when it would be completed?